After a a few years away from IL2 (PacFighter) I am getting back into it. Now with Christmas around the corner its time to get my gift requests out there. A new computer is too expensive and not something I trust to others anyway so lets talk able what accessory upgrades would be good to ask for!

I already asked for TrackIR5 Pro, what other goodies does the forum recommend?

LimaZulu

na85

12-10-2009, 05:50 PM

5.1 surround?

Ba5tard5word

12-10-2009, 05:59 PM

I dunno what graphics card you have, if you have an old one or an integrated one, you should try and get a proper graphics card, you could at least get something like an 8600 which is like $50 or less, or the ATI equivalent.

LimaZulu

12-10-2009, 06:11 PM

GFX adapter is a NVIDIA QuadroFX3450 - a pretty good 3D media creation card. I would be a loath to sacrifice its capability in 3D creation apps to appease my simming experience. Another separate gaming computer is in the future a few months from now but the Dell workstation have to do for now.

LimaZulu

LimaZulu

12-10-2009, 06:18 PM

Which brings up some questions, (1)does anyone know what the equivalent NVIDIA gaming GPU is for the NVIDIA Quadro FX3450? Its not like the FX series are completely different chips, they just have some features turned on. (2) does IL246 support SLI if I drop in another NVIDIA Quadro FX3450?

LImaZulu

Choctaw111

12-10-2009, 06:29 PM

Il2 does support SLI.
I notice a big difference when SLI is enabled, especially with AA and AF turned on.
I don't know much about your Quadro card. What it is equivalent to?

LimaZulu

12-10-2009, 06:38 PM

I dunno but it definitely is not a processor line that is too far removed from one of the NVIDIA gaming series. As I understand it, the difference is its capability to run the Quadro FX software which accesses more features of the GPU.

I have another one in a workstation that is not in use right now. I could add it an bring up a little SLI action without too much hassle.

So essentially its a GeForce 6800 with (as far as gaming goes) crappy drivers. I've been playing a little and it is keeping up at 60fps @ 1200X1920 with a small number of AI aircraft plus me. I'm thinking adding another and going SLI will be a quick and easy improvement.

Here's another question since we are at it, should I use openGL or DirectX?

LimaZulu

LimaZulu

12-10-2009, 06:50 PM

Originally posted by ROXunreal:
If I had a setup like that next thing I'd do is buy a CH fighterstick

Is the Fighterstick generally considered a big improvement over the X52? Of course I would also need a new compatible throttle.

You know, its really hard not to want a yoke to fly the P-38...

LimaZulu

Sillius_Sodus

12-10-2009, 06:51 PM

A bigger monitor?

LimaZulu

12-10-2009, 07:06 PM

Originally posted by Sillius_Sodus:
A bigger monitor?

Well I have a nice 24 LCD so improving on that would be kind of pricey methinks.

LimaZulu

Choctaw111

12-10-2009, 08:21 PM

Originally posted by LimaZulu:
Hmmm.., found this:
FX 3450.........NV41......256-bit GDDR3....32GB/s.......Chip also used in GeForce 6800, 1x Dual-link DVI

So essentially its a GeForce 6800 with (as far as gaming goes) crappy drivers. I've been playing a little and it is keeping up at 60fps @ 1200X1920 with a small number of AI aircraft plus me. I'm thinking adding another and going SLI will be a quick and easy improvement.

Here's another question since we are at it, should I use openGL or DirectX?

LimaZulu

OpenGL gives the best graphics quality in Il2.
If your Quadro is the equivalent of a 6800 series card, that is not too bad I suppose.
Having two of those should do you fairly well.
I would like to know what your benchmarks are for the Black Death and Kamikaze tracks.
That will tell you how well your rig runs Il2 compared to others.
I learned quite a bit about Il2, tweaking things and trying different things for experimentation, using the Black Death and Kamikaze.

LimaZulu

12-10-2009, 08:28 PM

I would like to know what your benchmarks are for the Black Death and Kamikaze tracks.
That will tell you how well your rig runs Il2 compared to others.

What is the procedure for recording benchmarks in IL2?

LimaZulu

Ba5tard5word

12-10-2009, 09:25 PM

So essentially its a GeForce 6800 with (as far as gaming goes) crappy drivers. I've been playing a little and it is keeping up at 60fps @ 1200X1920 with a small number of AI aircraft plus me.

Well that's not too bad actually, on my old computer with a 2.4Ghz Core Duo and 8600 GT, I was only able to play the game at 1152 x 768 to get a smooth framerate though I didn't really have to worry about plane numbers.

Col.BBQ

12-11-2009, 03:48 AM

50 lbs of lumber to build the cockpit of your dream plane.

Choctaw111

12-11-2009, 05:13 AM

Originally posted by LimaZulu:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I would like to know what your benchmarks are for the Black Death and Kamikaze tracks.
That will tell you how well your rig runs Il2 compared to others.

What is the procedure for recording benchmarks in IL2?

LimaZulu </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

When in game or in a track, hit "Shift Tab" to bring up the console.
Then type "fps SHOW START", then hit Shift Tab again to close the console.
This will display some numbers at the top of the screen.
It will show FPS minimum, maximum, average and number of frames total.
To end the benchmark, simply press "Shift Tab" again to bring up the console and type
"fps SHOW STOP".
Start the benchmark as close to the beginning of the Black Death and Kamikaze tracks as possible and stop it when the track ends.
I say this is the benchmarking tool will continue to record fps even when not flying, as in reloading the track to play again and will give you a false average.

LimaZulu

12-11-2009, 05:32 AM

Thanks I will give it a shot this evening or tomorrow depending on whats going on here. Maybe I will do a before SLI and after.

LimaZulu

Slapshot_54

12-11-2009, 07:22 AM

Originally posted by LimaZulu:

Is the Fighterstick generally considered a big improvement over the X52? Of course I would also need a new compatible throttle.

I went from the X-52 to the Fighterstick and yes, it was a HUGE difference for me and well worth it.

If the X-52 throttle has the USB connection (which I think it does), I see no reason why you couldn't use that with the CH Fighterstick, which has its own USB connector (unlike the stick on the X-52).

horseback

12-11-2009, 08:54 AM

I can confirm that the CH Fightersticks or CombatSticks are superior to the X52 stick. Use your CH Manager software to combine your CH stick with your CH pedals into one controller and use the X52 for your throttle/button bay. The game will handle 4 separate controllers quite easily.

There are many who find the Saitek HOTAS throttle superior to the CH Pro Throttle and use it in combination with the CH pedals and sticks. Several have taken the stick and modified it into a box/panel format to use the extra axes and buttons more easily.

cheers

horseback

LimaZulu

12-11-2009, 02:07 PM

Alright then, a CH Fighterstick makes the list!

LimaZulu

LimaZulu

12-14-2009, 09:50 PM

Originally posted by Choctaw111:
I would like to know what your benchmarks are for the Black Death and Kamikaze tracks.
That will tell you how well your rig runs Il2 compared to others.

Using openGL @ 1920X1200 on excellent
Kamikaze was 23avg/60max
The Black Death was 19avg/43max

I will try and set up a SLI and get those numbers as a comparison.

LImaZulu

TgD Thunderbolt56

12-16-2009, 11:08 AM

1. TrackIR 5

2. Fighterstick + Pro Throttle (opens up a world of possibilities in Control Manager too)

3. New GPU (nothing less than a GTX 285 1gb)

4. Sennheisser pc350 headset (I realize you have one, but this is a golden upgrade)

Bottom line is, I'd ditch the Saitek junk and get my peripherals to the top of the line (HOTAS and TIR). Then upgrade that GPU because even if you can't use it to its maximum potential right now, it'll be a major component in your next machine that you won't have to buy.

If I would have said one more year that I wanted a new Vid card for Christmas my wife would have hit me in the head with a hammer. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/compsmash.gif

LimaZulu

12-16-2009, 01:26 PM

Originally posted by TgD Thunderbolt56:
1. TrackIR 5

2. Fighterstick + Pro Throttle (opens up a world of possibilities in Control Manager too)

3. New GPU (nothing less than a GTX 285 1gb)

4. Sennheisser pc350 headset (I realize you have one, but this is a golden upgrade)

Bottom line is, I'd ditch the Saitek junk and get my peripherals to the top of the line (HOTAS and TIR). Then upgrade that GPU because even if you can't use it to its maximum potential right now, it'll be a major component in your next machine that you won't have to buy.

If I would have said one more year that I wanted a new Vid card for Christmas my wife would have hit me in the head with a hammer. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/compsmash.gif

Well so far I've asked for the TrackIR5Pro (top of the list), a CH Fighterstick and a wireless headset. I use Skype a lot and get the wire tangled a lot.

It was mentioned earlier that the Saitek throttle would work fine with the CH Fighterstick and that some even prefer that setup. I guess its easy enough to go out and get a CH throttle if I don't like it. I've also been eyeballing a yoke setup since the P-38 is one of my favorite rides...

I am going to wait until the DX11 GPUs are out then build a new gaming computer in anticipation of SOW.

Thanks for the input!
LimaZulu

ytareh

12-16-2009, 01:40 PM

I wouldnt put any more moeny into your current PC especially buying another Quadro...You can put together a new super gaming pc for peanuts nowadays ...

LimaZulu

12-16-2009, 01:49 PM

Originally posted by ytareh:
I wouldnt put any more moeny into your current PC especially buying another Quadro...You can put together a new super gaming pc for peanuts nowadays ...

Truth be told, I have quite a few of the systems described in my first post laying around. Business was tragically slow this year and so a lot of workstations from our studio are collecting dust. I figure least I can do is use one for IL2. The extra QuadroFX will be a transplant from an unused computer.